Ampalaya with Chicken Feet – Kawaling Pinoy

Ampalaya with Chicken Feet is a delicious dish that pairs perfectly with steamed rice. It’s a budget-friendly and nutritious meal you’ll feel good serving the whole family.

This recipe was posted on the blog over ten years ago, and I’m updating it today with new photos and cooking tips. Like the chicken tinola, leche flan, and a few recipes on my blog, it’s meaningful and holds bittersweet memories. What I’ve written below in 2014 might no longer represent my current sentiments, but I’m keeping them here for posterity’s sake.

If you are a long-time reader of Kawaling Pinoy and had the patience to read through my 200+ recipes, you probably noticed that while my posts are peppered with fond anecdotes of my mother, I rarely, if ever, mention my father. This is not surprising, really, with all things considered.

My mother centered her life around her children. On the other hand, my father was a self-indulgent man who put his family last. Our mother was the bright light and steady pillar of our childhood. Our father was non-existent when we were growing up, a neither here nor there presence in our young lives. So, while I have many remembrances of my mother’s love and devotion, memories of my father are few and far between, if any.

My father was as heavy with his drink as he was light with his hands. I have abundant recollections of being a frail five-year-old sandwiched between my mother and father in a futile attempt to protect her from his fists. After five years of assault on body and soul, my mother finally had enough sense to realize the marriage was a lost cause.

It’s incredible how I tried hard not to be like my father my whole life, yet we are the same in many ways: the shape of his face, how he walks, his penchant for writing, and his appetite for good food. Like me, he also loves to cook. This ampalaya with chicken feet was one of his “experimental” dishes that became my mother’s favorites.

Ingredient notes

• Chicken feet– consist of collagen-rich skin, tendons, and cartilage.
• Ampalaya– known for its distinct bitterness. Choose young gourds for a milder, acrid taste.
• Green onions– for a savory boost
• Ginger– adds a peppery taste and helps tenderize the chicken feet
• Oil– canola, vegetable, safflower, grapeseed, or avocado oil are suitable for sauteeing as well as deep-frying
• Aromatics- onions and garlic provide a flavor base
• Fish sauce– for an umami kick
• Sugar– cuts some of the bitterness of the ampalaya with sweetness.
• Seasonings– salt enhances flavor, and pepper adds some zing

How to prepare chicken feet

1. Prepare the chicken feet– peel the outer yellow skin, if any, and trim the nails using a sharp knife or scissors. Check the soft pads of the feet and cut off any dark, callused areas with a knife. Scrub well with rock salt and rinse well.
2. Blanch the chicken with green onions and ginger to remove impurities and off-taste. Drain well, and pat dry to remove excess moisture.
3. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden to help them puff.
4. Soak in cold water until puffed and softened. Use in recipes as directed.

1. Saute onions, garlic, and ginger in a wide pan until softened and aromatic.
2. Add chicken feet and fish sauce and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil skimming any scum that may float on the top. Lower heat, cover, and cook until chicken feet are very tender, adding water in ½ cup increments as needed to maintain about 1 cup broth.
3. Add sliced ampalaya and cook until tender yet crisp. Keep stirring to a minimum to minimize the bitter taste.
4. Add sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Serving suggestions and storage instructions

• Serve this chicken feet with bittermelon dish with steamed rice for a nutritious and delicious main entree.
• Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat to 165 F, adding more water or broth to loosen to desired consistency.

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